Yang Wenqiao, Xing Deshui, Cao Chunli, Zhang Xiaorong, Li Nan
Color.
2025, 43(9):
131-134.
In the mountains of Cangyuan, Yunnan, the Wa people inherit their culture through the millennium-old brocade-weaving technique. As a "living historical record" of the Wa people, Cangyuan brocade, with black and red as its base colors and decorated with geometric patterns, conveys the ancestors' reverence for nature and praise for life. Its colors not only carry on the Wa's traditional color system but also form distinct regional characteristics due to geographical and historical factors; each color bears primitive beliefs and has a strong visual impact. Currently, academic research on it mostly focuses on its patterns and craftsmanship, while the aesthetic logic and cultural connotations behind its colors remain to be explored. Combining field investigations with aesthetic theories, this paper analyzes the symbolic system, composition rules and modern aesthetic value of its colors, and explores the visual code of this ethnic art.